System and method for remote deposit capture

ABSTRACT

A system includes one or more remote check deposit locations, and one or more treasury receipt servers to receive check information captured from the one or more remote check deposit locations, and to receive transaction data from an originating depository financial institution (ODFI), the transaction data including an amount of funds available from clearing the captured check information.

This application claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/856,035 filed on Nov. 2, 2006, which is herebyincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system and method for capturing checkdeposits, and more particularly to a system and method for portfolioforecasting based on captured deposit information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a system and methodfor remote deposit capture that substantially obviates one or moreproblems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description which follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theobjectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized andattained by the structure particularly pointed out in the writtendescription and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purposeof the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the systemincludes one or more remote check deposit locations, and one or moretreasury receipt servers to receive check information captured from theone or more remote check deposit locations, and to receive transactiondata from an originating depository financial institution (ODFI), thetransaction data including an amount of funds available from clearingthe captured check information.

In another aspect, the method includes receiving, via one or moretreasury receipt servers, check information captured from one or moreremote check deposit locations, and receiving, via the one or moretreasury receipt servers, transaction data from an originatingdepository financial institution (ODFI), the transaction data includingan amount of funds available from clearing the captured checkinformation.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and areintended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the description serve to explain the principles of theinvention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 2 is an exemplary timing diagram of the progression of a check uponreceipt at an entry point to the funds made available.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the presentinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

System Overview

The remote deposit capture system according to the present inventioncapitalizes on a federal regulation (“Check 21”) that provides financialinstitutions the ability to accept a legal substitute of a customer'soriginal check when presented for collection. Generally, Check 21 allowsfinancial institutions to receive, deposit and exchange images of checkselectronically rather than by moving the original paper checks. Inparticular, the system and method of the present invention optimizesremote payment receipts providing expanded selection (including but notlimited to checks, debit/credit cards) of payment deposits and allowsall payments received in a remote location, (including but not limitedto, in-house lockbox locations, any location where mail is received,remittance centers and other back office locations, affiliated andindependent agency/broker sales offices, and client locations) to beelectronically transmitted to the bank and converted into an electronicdeposit or ACH debit.

In general, the checks received at a given location, as described above,are processed to accumulate data related to the check via a process,which may include sorting checks by legal entity, bank account, type ofproduct, such as check swipe or other criteria, and scanned (i.e.,machine-read) to capture the check image, including check information(MICR line), such as routing number, account number, and check serialnumber, for example. These images as well as data elements, along withthe check amount, are used to create an electronic record of the checks.As determined by business rules, this electronic check image, and/orcheck information, is then transmitted to the financial institution(e.g., banks) based on decisioning trees established by the business.The financial institution processes the electronic check image, and/orcheck information, crediting the funds to a bank account, as prescribedwithin the business rules and decisioning trees, to which the check ismade. The system and method of the present invention generally allowsthe funds made by the checks to be available based on an individualbank's negotiated availability schedules for as early as today and aslate as several days.

System Components

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Theexemplary embodiment of the present invention includes, but is notlimited to, a computerized workstation (20 a, 20 b) at each check entrypoint (10 a, 10 b, 10 c) where checks are received. The check entrypoints (10 a,10 b,10 c) (also referred to as “check receipt” locations)may be affiliated and/or independent agent/broker sales office locations(10 a), central back offices (10 b), and any other sites (e.g., theclient's home)(10 c) where checks or electronic payments, debit cardsfor example, are presented as forms of payment. Each of the computerizedworkstations (20 a,20 b) includes a scanning device that reads thechecks and other types of electronic payments to creates electronicrecords related to the payments. The computerized workstations (20 a,20b) may be implemented using a general purpose computer, personal digitalassistant (PDA), or other specialized computing devices in connectionwith the scanning device. Furthermore, specialized all-in-one devicesthat can scan, digitize, and transmit electronic records of the checks,or other electronic payments, directly to the banks may also be used.

The scanning devices may be general optical scanning devices that createan electronic image of the checks and/or other related documentationrelated to the payment or the customer making a payment. Alternatively,the scanning devices may be specialized scanning devices, such as ascanner that detects and captures the magnetic ink character recognitioninformation (MIRC) on the checks. Other types of scanning devices andimaging (i.e., workflow) software and hand-held devices may also be usedwithout departing from the scope of the present invention.

The electronic record of the check may include the dollar amount,routing number, account number, and check serial number acquired fromthe scanned check and may also include the actual electronic image ofthe check. Additionally, each payment (e.g., check and debit/creditcard) scanned or captured into the database may have various keyedattribute information, including, but not limited to, product,portfolio, policy/contract information, sales representativeinformation, financial reporting, general ledger, accountinginformation, and Line of Business (“LOB”). The electronic record alsoincludes the amount of the check to be processed by the financialinstitution. The amount entered on the check may be manually enteredduring processing or may be captured automatically using characterrecognition technologies. Once the data elements of the check, includingan image of the check, are captured, the physical check is returned tothe client (if taken at point of sale) and/or is maintained for aprescribed period of time with Standard Destruction Procedures asdetermined as part of Treasury's control procedures, controls of whichmay be developed in accordance with governing law and regulatory bodiesand operational business changes as deemed necessary. The physical checkare not destroyed immediately to allow for exceptions where a physicalcheck is required by the Originating Depository Financial Institution(“ODFI”) (in the case of fraud), not sufficient funds (“NSF”), or closedaccount, for example. As one of the liabilities passed from ODFI to thescanning entity includes ensuring the original check is not presentedfor payment when an electronic image of the same item has been presentedfor deposit, a consistent enterprise control is all physical checks willbe maintained for and destroyed within a reasonable period of time, asprescribed by Treasury and Legal/Compliance Departments, to meet thebusiness requirements while managing the associated risk.

The electronic records and images of the checks and other payments arethen transmitted to a central treasury receipt server/database (30). Inthe alternative, a distributed server structure including multipleservers may be used without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. In particular, a distributed server structure may beadvantageous for load balancing during peak data traffic times as wellas for fail-safe issues and disaster recovery/contingency planning. Thetreasury receipt server (30) is connected to an archive database (40)for archiving the images of the checks as well as the electronic recordsof the checks. A treasury receipt station (50) is connected to thetreasury receipt server to perform administrative tasks, such assecurity administration with dual controls, accounting and systemmaintenance, audit tools, segregation of duties, portfolio, ad hoc,daily, periodic, and exception report generation, portfolio allocation,transmission file and bank reconciliation, and the like. A distributedarchival server structure including multiple archival servers (40) maybe used without departing from the scope of the present invention.Additionally, hosted, licensed, or other environment for treasuryreceipt server (30) and the archival server (40) structure may also beused without departing from the scope of the present invention. Forexample, some or all of the functionality of the treasury receipt server(30) may be hosted by an ODFI.

The treasury receipt server (30) receives the electronic records of thechecks and generates a data file and a check image file to betransmitted to the financial institutions (70) for processing as anelectronic deposit, or Image Cash Letter (“ICL”). This electronicdeposit, or ICL, has various methods of clearing with financialinstitution. The bank that receives the electronic deposit or ICL isknown as an Originating Depository Financial Institution (“ODFI”)mentioned above. ODFI's may clear the electronic check images in severalways, including but not limited to (1) as an “On Us” items clearedwithin the ODFI, (2) image exchange where the ODFI has an arrangement toaccept and transmit image exchange with other financial institutions,and (3) Image Replacement Documents (“IRDs”), where a substitute checkis printed and cleared through the Federal Reserve. It is the ODFI'sresponsibility to negotiate the clearing and availability schedule. Aseparate agreed upon schedule may be required for each ODFI with whichthe electronic deposits are made via ICL by transmitting electroniccheck information and/or check image files. Based on a designatedschedule, a decision engine (60) on the treasury receipt server (30)routes the generated electronic check information and check images basedon stored business rules to the proper financial institutions (70) to beprocessed for deposit. For example, the electronic checks may be sentonce a day, at designated times during the day (e.g., 12:00 p.m. EST and4:00 p.m. EST), or on other periodic basis (e.g., hourly). The frequencyof the electronic check image transmissions may be changed according tothe business rules stored in the decision engine (60) on the treasuryreceipt server (30).

The treasury receipt server (30) processes the received depositinformation and performs cash forecasting of the received deposits. Thetreasury receipt server (30) then allocates the checks to theappropriate portfolio of invested funds, thereby improving cashforecasting and reducing float time from receipt of a check to portfolioinvested funds. As shown in FIG. 2 illustrating an exemplary time line,the system and method of the present invention significantly reduces thedelay in availability of the funds from the deposited checks.

The treasury receipts station (50) includes an electronic check “waitingroom” to allow the Line of Businesses (LOBs) to identify and apply theirown customer's moneys, directs file transmission release to an end point(e.g., to the Federal Reserve, a Financial Institution, or anon-Financial Institution), directs file submission to a batch processfor transmission potentially with other file(s), directs filetransmissions based on automated timer release or manually transmittedrelease by an authorized end user(s), directs file submissions withsegregation of electronic image to sort batches based on bankavailability schedules, and indexes information processed for ease ofaccess (i.e., customer service, returns). The treasury receipt station(5) further includes a decisioning module to be maintained by theTreasury based on current or updated bank availability schedules. Thedecisioning module processes the release times of files transmitted outof the treasury receipts station (50), maintains confirmation of receiptof transmitted files (i.e., from Financial Institution), producesexception notification and reports to appropriate individuals tomonitor, and maintain depositing activities and to correct any items notprocessed in accordance with treasury business rules.

The remote capturing system and method of the present invention maydeposit captured remote checks in a deposit “waiting room” to aggregatethose checks received in the check entry points (10 a-c) (e.g., mailrooms) throughout the operating locations and to allow “read only”access for various departments to visit the “waiting room” and claim thechecks (e.g., checks that are intended for a remote location and wereerroneously sent to the wrong or generic company address). For instance,as described above, the checks and other forms of payments are capturedand collected into the treasury receipt server (30). When the captureddeposits are run against stored business rules by the decision engine(60), some of the captured deposits may be flagged as requiringauthorization or further attention from an authorized personnel in adesignated department These captured deposits are placed into a “waitingroom” to await further action. Accordingly, the treasury receipt server(30) may communicate notifications (e.g., email or instant messagingalerts) to the appropriate party as stored in the business rules. Thenotification message informs the recipient that captured deposits areawaiting further action in the deposit waiting room. Alternatively,periodic reminder notifications may also be used to remind thedesignated personnel to visit the deposit waiting room at apredetermined time or time interval without departing from the scope ofthe present invention.

The notifications may contain hyperlinks to a portal or website, forexample, that allows the user to access the deposit waiting room.Alternatively, the user may access the deposit waiting room via aspecialized application or other points of access without departing fromthe scope of the present invention. The deposit waiting room may behosted directly on the treasury receipt server (30) or may be hosted ona different server with access to the captured deposits (i.e.,distributed server architecture). The user may be authenticated vialogin/password, encryption key, digital certificate, and the like. Otherauthentication processes may be used without departing from the scope ofthe invention. Once given access, the user may browse through thecaptured deposits to “claim” them. For instance, the user may changedepositing/routing rules such as account, ODFI, and scheduledtransmission designations as well as other information. All of thechanges/actions may be checked by the decision engine (60) against thebusiness rules to determine whether the actions requested by the usersare valid to ensure security.

System Access and Controls

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,front end controls are established by associating users with user IDsthat allow access only to predefined bank accounts within theenterprise. The rights to these bank accounts may be established by dualcontrolled Master ID personnel, segregated in the Corporate TreasurySecurity Administration group, or the like, to promote safeguarding ofassets. For increased security, user ID's may be assigned by thebusiness units only to those individuals current with responsibilitiesfor bank deposit activities. In addition, any changes to responsibilitymay require the business units to provide a written request, e.g., viaemail application, to adjust user IDs access rights within the system aswell as a bank account(s) which the user may be able to make anelectronic deposit, or the like. Some user IDs may have read only, scanonly (as in mail room personnel), and/or approver only access to matcheach individual's end user's responsibilities, reducing the risk offunds being deposited into the wrong bank account, or unauthorizedviewing of check images or live checks. Each deposit may include a timeand date stamp, and show the user ID of the action performed (i.e.,scanning user id differs from approving user ID). In addition,segregation of duties established in the system controls shows thoseMaster IDs who made any additions, changes, or deletions to the user IDsabilities.

Controls for the bank account deposits exist in the SecurityAdministration profile, defining access to bank accounts based onindividuals' areas of responsibility. These predefined bank accounts bya user may also include a second approval requirement prior to releaseof transmission to the ODFI. This second approval may be restrictedaccess to specified bank accounts in the approver's area ofresponsibility. Once items in a controlled environment have met thedetailed requirements to become a qualified file ready for transmission(i.e., having legal entity, LOB, product, portfolio, accounting, salesrepresentative details, and the like), the file will run against aperiodically updated decision tree that will reallocate the variouselectronic check image payments to create segregated transmission filesto ODFI's to deposit ICL's in financial institutions based on criteriasuch as branch location, time zone, “on-us” deposit benefits, mosteffective funds availability, and the like.

Types of Collection

At the various collection locations (10 a, 10 b, 10 c), one or moremethods of collection are initiated, such that, checks are convertedinto electronic data, processed via either general scanning equipment orscanners specifically designed for scanning checks and/or obtaining therequired check depositing information as described above. Check imagesmay be maintained as images or as data, and may require normalization(e.g., format adjustments) to meet specifications as required by theFederal Reserve Bank, a regulatory body, such as NACHA, and/or financialinstitution(s) which may receive an electronic check image or electronicdeposit information, and ACH information.

Locations of Collection

Locations of collection (10 a, 10 b, 10 c) includes, but is not limitedto, the back office, agency office, affiliated Bank (both walk in andmail received), and the mailroom. Some mailroom locations may haveselected mailroom personnel who have the ability to scan checks into thetreasury receipts station to include these check images in the “waitingroom” described above. That is, they are entered into a holding area todetermine which bank account the funds should be deposited. Based onrestricted system access as described above, the mailroom personnel maybe prevented from having access to deposit any funds in any free form orpredetermined bank account(s). Other users of the system, with access tobank accounts in accordance with their responsibilities, throughout thevarious Lines of Business, with their system access, may review thesemailroom scanned items, and determine if based on the image of thecheck, and any other unique or defining information, such as policynumber, customer name, customer address, bank account number, todetermine the appropriate Line of Business, product and customerinformation to properly deposit the funds. Once determined, the systemmay track all user IDs that have viewed, as well as claimed the funds.The electronic check image or electronic deposit information may beallocated to a specified bank account awaiting approval to be includedin the electronic deposit transmission files. Claimed funds can bedeposited separately or within other batches of files to be sent to afinancial institution for deposit.

Information to be Collected

The information collected by the exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention includes, but are not limited to, electronic images of checksthat meet image quality standards, as required, and any other imagedinformation to be added to the process to support customer service orreceipts processing, electronic data from a check, including MICR lineinformation (e.g., ABA routing number, bank account information, amountof check, and the like), customer name, if any, policy/contract number,if any, and information that is scanned and or keyed into the treasuryreceipts station (50).

Application of Collected Information

The information collected are used to automate the back end processing,including but not limited to, electronic sorting of mail based on keyedpolicy/contract number rules, sorting and batching for work byfunctional department responsibilities, controlling documents electronicarchiving, determining new policy, and existing policy. The collectedinformation allows for automation of feeding various systems, includingbut not limited, to, accounts receivable, general ledger, archival,customer service and call center support, administrative and sub ledger,bank reconciliation automation. The collected information is used todetermine treasury best availability for check clearing, AccountsReceivable Conversion (“ARC”) eligibility and clearing, “On-Us” checkclearing, affiliated bank check clearing, Image Check Letters (“ICL”),and Image Replacement Documents (“IRD”). The collected information maybe applied to a look up table or a portfolio database to apply productand/or portfolio information, and automate the derived portfolioinformation to feed cash management and investments departmentactivities, including but not limited to, Treasury Work Station (“TWS”),Cash Decision Worksheet (“CDW”), Liquidity Work Sheet (“LWS”), and anyother determined locations.

Reporting and Reconciliation

The treasury receipts station (50) includes reporting interfaces thatallow the respective general ledger to receive information to record thedeposit information in the appropriate accounts by bank and legalentity. Reconciliation for bank accounts are automated via interface(90) between bank account information and general ledger information toreceive information to record the deposit information in the appropriateaccounts by bank and legal entity.

Treasury Business Rules

Similarly to the banks rules for depositing checks, the presentinvention includes rules to determine which bank a check should bedeposited and by what method it should be cleared through the bankingsystem. Such determination may be based on many criteria, some of whichmay be based on “all in” pricing of clearing the instrument whenclearing options are available, the quickest availability value, the ARCv. check cost comparison, and other bank decisioning rules.

The term “E-routing” is referred to as electronically routing electroniccheck images to maximize the availability of funds within the negotiatedavailability schedules, which may vary from time to time. Considerationwill be made to possibly include ODFI's that are party to the 2 groupsof “Image Exchange” partnerships, SVPCO and ViewPoint Exchange. Controlsmay be established to ensure that full and false inclusion testingexceptions are identified for each and every transmission file.Notification will be communicated to the respective personnel withineach of the business units to timely and effectively repair and/orremedy any transmission file issues that may arise. Cutoff times will bedetermined as needed and detailed in the business rules and decisioningtree based on need, benefit, the ODFI's ability to accept multipletransmission files, among others. Processes are developed for NSF,closed bank accounts, and other such return items, in conjunction withthe Standard Destruction Procedures, to provide the ODFI with theoriginal document via the existing dual controlled, segregation ofduties, physically secured check storage area.

Each ODFI may have a bi-lateral agreement (“Agreement”). With multipleODFI's, each may have its own Agreement with the enterprise for use byany and all current and future 100% owned subsidiaries, for example.Within the Agreements, items may be addressed for such things asAvailability Schedules and Liability, including but not limited toshifting of risk associated with checks being collected and scanned by anon-ODFI, for failed transmission files, contingency planning, if any,among others.

The various ODFIs (70) receive the electronic check image files andprocessed the credit of funds indicated on the electronic checks to theproper accounts as defined in our Security Administration, businessrules and decisioning tree. In situations where the ODFIs (70) require aphysical check, the original checks are obtained and provided forpresentment. The physical checks are then cleared to make the fundsavailable. The transaction data from the financial institutions (70) arethen received and stored in a reconciliation database (90). Informationis included to allow for accounts receivable (“A/R”), for example, aswell as Bank reconciliations with the ICL files in each transmission.Further, bank deposit totals are matched to accounting records for thegeneral ledger financial reporting and A/R systems. The treasury receiptserver compares the transaction data received from the ODFIs (70) withthe electronic records of the check image files transmitted to the ODFIs(70) stored on the archive database (40) to reconcile the deposits madeto the ODFIs (70).

Using an investment company as an exemplary embodiment, the treasuryreceipt server (30) may then allocate the funds made available by thefinancial institutions (70) to the appropriate investment portfolios inan investment system (80) within only one or two business days, ratherthan weeks. All funds deposited are invested based on the underlyingtransactions, collected and transmitted by portfolio attribution, askeyed or determined by business rules or any other method. System feedsfor the summary information of the daily transactions is automaticallyfed to the various cash management tools, including but not limited toTreasury Work Station (“TWS”), Liquidity Work Station (“LWS”), and CashDecision Worksheet (“CDW”), allowing for next day investment of theavailable funds in the appropriate portfolio.

The system and method of remote capture deposit capture in accordancewith the present invention improves upon the prior art by:

-   -   Allowing utilization of new technologies, products, and services        offered by banks;    -   Allowing for negotiation of better availability schedules with        our bank partners and the ability to divert deposits from one        bank to another at will;    -   Accelerating US dollar check float and funds available across        the global enterprise;    -   Enabling process implementation globally via internet and        computerized workstation and scanner, expediting the deposit of        US dollar checks drawn on US Banks from remote locations        throughout the world;    -   Improving attribution identification of collections by portfolio        to invest more effectively;    -   Increasing cut-off times for working incoming mail, thereby        increasing daily funds deposits;    -   Allowing conversion of all corporate and consumer check payments        to electronic check images at remote location, thereby reducing        transportation costs and risks of delivery errors;    -   Reducing float time from receipt of a check to portfolio        invested funds;    -   Improving forward presentment earnings by decreasing mail time;    -   Improving cash forecasting;    -   Reducing/eliminating costs and errors associated with paper        handling;    -   Enabling automation of accounts receivable subledger postings        (“Admin System updates”);    -   Enabling automation of sales representative information for        commission revenue calculations; and    -   Providing competitive advantage at point of sale through        increased fund receipt/capture opportunities.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the system and method of thepresent invention without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover themodifications and variations of this invention provided they come withinthe scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

1. A system, comprising: one or more remote check deposit locations; andone or more treasury receipt servers to receive check informationcaptured from the one or more remote check deposit locations, and toreceive transaction data from an originating depository financialinstitution (ODFI), the transaction data including an amount of fundsavailable from clearing the captured check information.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the captured check information is directly receivedfrom the one or more remote check deposit locations.
 3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the captured check information is received from theODFI.
 4. The system of claim 1 further including a treasury receiptstation to forecast cash availability from the captured checkinformation.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the treasury receiptstation allocates the forecasted cash availability to one or moreinvestment portfolio accounts.
 6. The system of claim 1 furtherincluding an electronic check waiting room to store checks to beclaimed.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic check waitingroom includes notifications sent to authorized users to visit theelectronic check waiting room to claim the stored checks.
 8. The systemof claim 1, wherein the one or more treasury receipt servers transmitthe captured check information to the ODFI.
 9. The system of claim 8,therein the captured check information is transmitted to the ODFI once aday, at designated times of the day, or in near real-time.
 10. Thesystem of claim 1 further including a business rules engine to selectthe ODFI for transmitting the capture check information thereto.
 11. Amethod, comprising: receiving, via one or more treasury receipt servers,check information captured from one or more remote check depositlocations; and receiving, via the one or more treasury receipt servers,transaction data from an originating depository financial institution(ODFI), the transaction data including an amount of funds available fromclearing the captured check information.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein the captured check information is directly received from the oneor more remote check deposit locations.
 13. The method of claim 11,wherein the captured check information is received from the ODFI. 14.The method of claim 11 further including the step of forecasting, via atreasury receipt station, cash availability from the captured checkinformation.
 15. The method of claim 14 further including the step ofallocating, via the treasury receipt station, the forecasted cashavailability to one or more investment portfolio accounts.
 16. Themethod of claim 11 further including the step of storing checks in anelectronic check waiting room to be claimed.
 17. The method of claim 16further including the step of sending notifications to authorized usersto visit the electronic check waiting room to claim the stored checks.18. The method of claim 11 further including the step of transmitting,via the one or more treasury receipt servers, the captured checkinformation to the ODFI.
 19. The method of claim 18, therein thecaptured check information is transmitted to the ODFI once a day, atdesignated times of the day, or in near real-time.
 20. The system ofclaim 11 further including the step of selecting, via a business rulesengine, the ODFI for transmitting the capture check information thereto.